North Carolina Governor Josh Stein (D) has passed away following backlash over his call for “more police officers” after a stabbing incident on a train in Charlotte, where a Ukrainian refugee was killed.
In a post on X, Stein expressed his “grief” for the family of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska. This comes after the announcement that the suspect, DeCarlos Brown Jr., allegedly stabbed her near the throat on August 22, 2025.
“I am heartbroken for the family of Iryna Zarutska, who lost a loved one to this senseless act of violence,” Stein shared. “To keep people safe, we need more police on the streets, which is why my budget is advocating for increased funding to hire better-trained officers.”
In response, Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), among others, criticized that Brown had been arrested and released nearly 14 times. They argue that the issue isn’t the number of police but the justice system’s tendency to let repeat offenders go free. “The problem isn’t the number of police,” they remarked.
“Are you serious? Our law enforcement has arrested this man repeatedly,” Moore said in a post. “The issue lies with lenient judges who continually release these habitual offenders.”
“If Governor Stein truly cared, he would call for the cancellation of Roy Cooper’s ‘Task Force for Racial Equity,’ which allowed the murderer of Zarutska to remain on the streets,” Cotton added. He pointed out that even after 14 arrests, the fundamental issue persists not with police numbers, but with policies allowing criminals to go free.
“What good will more police officers do when the system continues to catch and release them?” was another question raised.
“When he was Attorney General, Governor Stein pushed for lenient policies and masked them under the guise of ‘racial equity,'” said Florida Attorney General James Usmier. “The justice system must not be influenced by race, and there needs to be accountability for criminals.”
“This isn’t just about the police’s role—it’s about the policies that let these offenders walk free,” emphasized North Carolina Rep. John Bell (R), pointing out that Brown’s numerous arrests didn’t lead to effective action.
It was reported that Brown was charged with first-degree murder after Zarutska was attacked multiple times while on a Charlotte Light Rail train.
Video footage from WBTV News offers a chilling look at the incident, showing Brown stabbing Zarutska three times in the throat before apparently walking through the train as blood drips from him.
Brown was subsequently identified as the attacker, and records indicate he has more than 12 convictions dating back to 2014. He had previously served five years for armed robbery and was released in September 2020.
In a post, former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, now running for the US Senate in North Carolina, noted that Cooper had sought advice from extreme left groups to introduce weak crime policies in the state.
Former President Donald Trump also commented on the situation, highlighting the tragic death of Zarutska, a young Ukrainian refugee who had come to the U.S. to escape war. He decried the recurring theme of repeat offenders being released under lenient policies.
Trump further stated, “You can see the blood of this innocent woman on the hands of Democrats who continue to allow dangerous individuals to avoid prison, including the former governor and now-aspiring senator Roy Cooper.”
